6 Aug, 2013.150 Comments.A Day In First Grade, Back to School, First Grade, Free, Kindergarten, Preschool.Posted By: Kristen Smith

Ah the joys of teaching first grade. Such a wonderful, magical grade. The students are full of wonder and awe and are so much fun to teach. However, these bright-eyed students enter our classrooms all over the academic map.

I have had students come to me reading, “The Magic Tree House” chapter books and then I have students who might not know how to decode CVC words. {some might not even know all their letters and sounds!}

So… how as teachers can we meet the needs of ALL these students?

The answer is easy… but perhaps a little bit daunting to some: small groups and differentiated instruction.

The key to this is knowing where your students are academically and having the resources {and time} to meet with different groups daily.

In order to get the “time” piece down, I use Literacy Centers in my classroom. If you would like to read about my Literacy Centers, you can do so here. While my students are busily working at their Literacy Centers, I meet with small groups of students. I keep track of where each one is and then create activities to help them.

This year I have been putting my resources into binders. I love it. I bought multiple packs of 50 “page protectors” from Walmart for $3.00! They are awesome! I also picked up a whole bunch of cheap binders for less than $2.00.

I then organized my binders by “intervention skills.” This one is called “Help me sound it out.” It’s a new packet that I created to help my students who struggle at the beginning of the year.

In it I include games that will help you meet your students where they are. This packet is PERFECT for those students who struggle with CVC words, letters and sounds, rhyming patterns and the basic foundational skills needed for reading.

In my binder I put my “small group plans” to the left and then all the activities in page protectors.

I put the cards in see through “binder pencil pouches.”

This packet has games (and recording sheets) that will help you with:

– Listening for sounds

-Rhymes

-Beginning Sounds

-Ending Sounds

-Medial Sounds

-Oral Blending

-Words With Double Initial Consonants

-Words With Final Double Consonants

-Linking Sounds to Spelling

It also includes many tactile activities that will help students.

These activities will help students really grasp the phonemic principals of letters and sounds and reading. {The packet explains exactly how to use each activity.} The thing I like best is that all my resources are in one place! By putting all the “pieces” in binder pencil pouches I won’t have to scramble for anything! Even better, I put together tons of quick and easy warm up games that will really get their brains thinking about reading!

But… what about the students who are reading already?

It’s so true! While some students will NEED these activities, others are already reading! For this I have a really fun FREEBIE for y’all! My students ADORE this game. Best of all, you can use it so many ways.

For this game, students are working on reading the first 100 Fry phrases with accuracy and fluency. I created the “Fry cards” and then I use “voice cards” with them. My students pick out a “voice” and then they read in that voice with emotion and gusto!

You could also use these cards when reading books! I have found that this helps students SO much!

I’m sitting reading this thinking I “MUST” have it–the hubs is next to me just kinda shaking his head. Thank GOD for the supportive spouse. This binder is amazing!!! I would love to have it–and likely will, one way or the other! thank you so much for the freebie, too!!! pcolagal1963@gmail.com

OH MY GOSH!!! What a neat packet and I LOVE the ideas!!! I could use this in so many different ways Thank you for the chance to win one…. I have put it on my wishlist .. you know just in case 😉Karentommysmom0206@yahoo.com

Kristen, I would love to win the ‘Help Me Sound It Out’ binder. This is my first whole year in kindergarten, after teaching upper grades for 30 years. While I know where my little ones need to be in 4 or 5 years, I am still learning how to get them through their site words and phrases. This binder looks like it would be the perfect learning resource for ME as I am working with my emerging readers, especially with my Rti students. This is absolutely amazing! Thank you for offering it. Betsy in Orlando parenthed1@aol.com

This looks great! I’ll be teaching first grade this year and as excited as I was when I was hired, the closer its gets to the first day, the more nervous I get with all that needs to be planned for the little ones!

This looks amazing… and I love how it is organized! I will be new to first grade this year and already know I am teaching the “at risk” reading class … this would be a great resource to have at the ready!Anneasugrad96@gmail.com

Oh what a great packet! SO many of my kiddos “forget” so much over the summer. So not only would it be a great intervention packet, but a great help for most all of my kids at the beginning of the year. Great work!

What a wonderful idea! I love how organized it looks! Timesaver for sure! Thanks for the freebie! I am adding your packet to my wish list, but it sure would be fabulous to win!!! This will be my first year in first grade and I am both excited and nervous to see what these kiddos can do! Thanks again!

I’d love to have the “Help me sound it out” packet as a resource in my first grade class. It would be put to great use and help me tremendously as a first year teacher! Also, thanks for ALL of your great ideas- I find your entire blog to be part of my “toolkit” as I prepare for my first year.

Hi! Sorry to contact you like this, but the email provided referred me to an error page. I was wondering if you would like to link up our blogs… I would love to feature your blog on my favorite blogs list. I hope you like my blog enough to want to put mine on your blog list.

What a great packet you’ve created. I teach kindergarten, but have kiddos come to school ready for this and I’m not always prepared for knowing just what to do with them this early in the school year! Your binder idea has given me something to think about…great organization.hudgins.kindergarten@gmail.com

Yet more amazing resources! Thanks so much for the freebie and for offering a giveaway!I’d also be interested in knowing what other things you put organized into binders. Thanks for all of the great ideas!crystaleve24@gmail.com

This is great! I love how organized it is. I think it would be really helpful to have these activities all in one place, and when a kiddo is having a problem…just go to the binder and easily find the skill/ lesson that s/he needs help with !

Awesome freebie and great blog post. I am your newest follower here and on bloglovin’!! I would LOVE to have your new pack as I am moving from 3rd grade to 1st grade this year and I am equal parts excited and terrified!! It is my birthday today so I would love to win the pack (hint, hint) Ha! Thanks for sharing the fry cards – love the graphics!Heather

I am always finding myself on your blog – whether linked from others or pins on Pinterest! Your ideas are fascinating and so well explained (tho I don’t know how you have time to make/organize all this). Thanks for helping this first year teacher out!

Having taught Kindergarten for a few years it amazes me where my students go academically throughout the year. They grow soooo much. Just when I think that I get them where they need to be MANY of them lose a lot of their skills over the summer. I see them in First Grade and a few of them struggling during the first few weeks into school. This year I will experience it first hand as I am back into the First Grade teaching after a few years. I would love this pack as I know that I will have a handful of students needing that beginning of the year “push.” Thanks for the opportunity. Win or lose….this will be in my basket. Thank you.

This is an amazing pack! I teach in a Title school with four to five ethnic groups with a high ELL number! This would be perfect to use to teach them! WOW!!!! I will have this one way or another! Thanks for your hard work!

This is adorable AND awesome!!! We are implementing a mandatory RTI time next year, we’ve always done it, but now we have a mandatory school-wide 30 minute block. I have been feeling like I really need to get some things together and organized better – this will help a lot! Love it!!

I would *love love love* this packet!! I teach in a high poverty area where 90% of my students come to first grade not knowing all of their letters or sounds. I share your {obsession} with binders and being organized so this would fit my teaching style perfectly!!! Hope I’m the *lucky* winner!! I promise to make this the first thing I run through my new personal laminator –Sheri

Can I say Great Minds thinks alike! I have spent the summer creating binders by the standards I want (and need ) to assess. I also have been sorting the FEW activities I have into the proper binder with the standard and the assessment check off sheet. I would LOVE your product to be included! What a time saver that would be!!Paulinefirstgradebythesea@gmail.comFirst Grade by the Sea

It’s 11:54p.m. in Alaska, so it’s almost Thursday :)Better late than never I read your blogpost and saw your SUPER cute resource this morning on my phone but wasn’t able to leave a comment saying I’d LOVE to be the happy and appreciative recipient of this binder! How in the world do you have the time to make such great resources that are super cute to boot?!

Having a huge spectrum of readers enter my 1st grade classroom, like you were talking about, is daunting…but a fun challenge!

YES!!! Finally a great way to teach decoding, segmenting and blending. Thanks for the binder tips. I too use binders to store my materials but hadn’t thought to sort the activities by differentiation. Here’s my email, I’m crossing my fingers. ggarrene@aol.com

This looks like an amazing pack! I would love to have this as it would be such a great tool for small group. I love visiting your blog and seeing such inspiring ideas and products!dcoonts@skylineschool.org

I love it; my son in 5 years old reading chapter books, he reads since he is 3 years old. I am homeschooling because I am not sure regular school can match his needs. so I am doing first grade curriculum. will try to incorporate some of your activities into the curriculum. thanks for sharing your love for teaching!

This looks perfect for my reading groups. Our first graders switch classes for reading and I teach the students who have more difficulties. I would love another resource to help them succeed. Great job and very well organized!

I’m sitting reading this thinking I “MUST” have it–the hubs is next to me just kinda shaking his head. Thank GOD for the supportive spouse. This binder is amazing!!! I would love to have it–and likely will, one way or the other! thank you so much for the freebie, too!!! pcolagal1963@gmail.com

OH MY GOSH!!! What a neat packet and I LOVE the ideas!!! I could use this in so many different ways Thank you for the chance to win one…. I have put it on my wishlist .. you know just in case 😉Karentommysmom0206@yahoo.com

Kristen, I would love to win the ‘Help Me Sound It Out’ binder. This is my first whole year in kindergarten, after teaching upper grades for 30 years. While I know where my little ones need to be in 4 or 5 years, I am still learning how to get them through their site words and phrases. This binder looks like it would be the perfect learning resource for ME as I am working with my emerging readers, especially with my Rti students. This is absolutely amazing! Thank you for offering it. Betsy in Orlando parenthed1@aol.com

This looks great! I’ll be teaching first grade this year and as excited as I was when I was hired, the closer its gets to the first day, the more nervous I get with all that needs to be planned for the little ones!

This looks amazing… and I love how it is organized! I will be new to first grade this year and already know I am teaching the “at risk” reading class … this would be a great resource to have at the ready!Anneasugrad96@gmail.com

Oh what a great packet! SO many of my kiddos “forget” so much over the summer. So not only would it be a great intervention packet, but a great help for most all of my kids at the beginning of the year. Great work!

What a wonderful idea! I love how organized it looks! Timesaver for sure! Thanks for the freebie! I am adding your packet to my wish list, but it sure would be fabulous to win!!! This will be my first year in first grade and I am both excited and nervous to see what these kiddos can do! Thanks again!

I’d love to have the “Help me sound it out” packet as a resource in my first grade class. It would be put to great use and help me tremendously as a first year teacher! Also, thanks for ALL of your great ideas- I find your entire blog to be part of my “toolkit” as I prepare for my first year.

Hi! Sorry to contact you like this, but the email provided referred me to an error page. I was wondering if you would like to link up our blogs… I would love to feature your blog on my favorite blogs list. I hope you like my blog enough to want to put mine on your blog list.

What a great packet you’ve created. I teach kindergarten, but have kiddos come to school ready for this and I’m not always prepared for knowing just what to do with them this early in the school year! Your binder idea has given me something to think about…great organization.hudgins.kindergarten@gmail.com

Yet more amazing resources! Thanks so much for the freebie and for offering a giveaway!I’d also be interested in knowing what other things you put organized into binders. Thanks for all of the great ideas!crystaleve24@gmail.com

This is great! I love how organized it is. I think it would be really helpful to have these activities all in one place, and when a kiddo is having a problem…just go to the binder and easily find the skill/ lesson that s/he needs help with !

Awesome freebie and great blog post. I am your newest follower here and on bloglovin’!! I would LOVE to have your new pack as I am moving from 3rd grade to 1st grade this year and I am equal parts excited and terrified!! It is my birthday today so I would love to win the pack (hint, hint) Ha! Thanks for sharing the fry cards – love the graphics!Heather

I am always finding myself on your blog – whether linked from others or pins on Pinterest! Your ideas are fascinating and so well explained (tho I don’t know how you have time to make/organize all this). Thanks for helping this first year teacher out!

Having taught Kindergarten for a few years it amazes me where my students go academically throughout the year. They grow soooo much. Just when I think that I get them where they need to be MANY of them lose a lot of their skills over the summer. I see them in First Grade and a few of them struggling during the first few weeks into school. This year I will experience it first hand as I am back into the First Grade teaching after a few years. I would love this pack as I know that I will have a handful of students needing that beginning of the year “push.” Thanks for the opportunity. Win or lose….this will be in my basket. Thank you.

This is an amazing pack! I teach in a Title school with four to five ethnic groups with a high ELL number! This would be perfect to use to teach them! WOW!!!! I will have this one way or another! Thanks for your hard work!

This is adorable AND awesome!!! We are implementing a mandatory RTI time next year, we’ve always done it, but now we have a mandatory school-wide 30 minute block. I have been feeling like I really need to get some things together and organized better – this will help a lot! Love it!!

I would *love love love* this packet!! I teach in a high poverty area where 90% of my students come to first grade not knowing all of their letters or sounds. I share your {obsession} with binders and being organized so this would fit my teaching style perfectly!!! Hope I’m the *lucky* winner!! I promise to make this the first thing I run through my new personal laminator –Sheri

Can I say Great Minds thinks alike! I have spent the summer creating binders by the standards I want (and need ) to assess. I also have been sorting the FEW activities I have into the proper binder with the standard and the assessment check off sheet. I would LOVE your product to be included! What a time saver that would be!!Paulinefirstgradebythesea@gmail.comFirst Grade by the Sea

It’s 11:54p.m. in Alaska, so it’s almost Thursday :)Better late than never I read your blogpost and saw your SUPER cute resource this morning on my phone but wasn’t able to leave a comment saying I’d LOVE to be the happy and appreciative recipient of this binder! How in the world do you have the time to make such great resources that are super cute to boot?!

Having a huge spectrum of readers enter my 1st grade classroom, like you were talking about, is daunting…but a fun challenge!

YES!!! Finally a great way to teach decoding, segmenting and blending. Thanks for the binder tips. I too use binders to store my materials but hadn’t thought to sort the activities by differentiation. Here’s my email, I’m crossing my fingers. ggarrene@aol.com

This looks like an amazing pack! I would love to have this as it would be such a great tool for small group. I love visiting your blog and seeing such inspiring ideas and products!dcoonts@skylineschool.org

I love it; my son in 5 years old reading chapter books, he reads since he is 3 years old. I am homeschooling because I am not sure regular school can match his needs. so I am doing first grade curriculum. will try to incorporate some of your activities into the curriculum. thanks for sharing your love for teaching!

This looks perfect for my reading groups. Our first graders switch classes for reading and I teach the students who have more difficulties. I would love another resource to help them succeed. Great job and very well organized!

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Hi! I'm Kristen and I have been an early childhood teacher for 13 years. I currently teach kindergarten at a private Christian school in Austin, Texas. My passion is creating fun, engaging and inspiring lessons for my students and then sharing them with you! I strive to integrate science and social studies into all aspects of my classroom. I hope you enjoy my blog. Please let me know if you have questions or comments.